Salvia Verbenaca. Wild Sage, or Clary, 
SALVIA Linn. Gen. PL Diandria Monogynia* 
Corolla inaequalis. Filamenta tranfverfe pedicello affixa. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 14. Suffrutices et herba: verticillata:. 
SALVIA Verbenaca foliis ferratis fmuatis laeviufeulis, corollis calyce anguflioribus. Linn. Syfl. Vegetal, 
ed. 14. p. 70. 1 Sp. PI. p. 35. Lightfoot Scot. v. 1. p. 79. Hudf. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 10. 
HORMINUM fylveflre Lavendula: flore. Baub. Pin. 239. Park. Lb. P- 57 '- Wild Clary with Spike 
Flowers. Rail Syn. ed. 3. p. 237. Common Engl ifh wild Cary. 
HORMINI fylveflris mi. quinta fpecies. Cluf. 2. p. xxxi. 
HORMINUM fylveflre. Ger. Herb. p. 628. Wild Clarie or Oculus Chrifli ; as to the defeription, 
the figure doubtful, the radical leaves being too pointed and the flowers too large. 
Ger. emac. p. 771. f. 1. 
RADIX perennis, fufea, craffitie digiti intermedii de- §> 
feendens, plurimis fibris capillata. 0 
CAULES ere£liufculi, bipedales, tetragoni, pilofi, pilis 
horizontalibus, fubvifeidis, ad nodos praicipue X 
purpurafeentes, ramofi ; Rami oppofiti. | 
FOLIA radicalia longe petiolata, variabilia, oblonga, | 
apice nunc rotundata, nunc acutiufcula, bafi V 
nonnunquam cordata, fzepius vero folium in | 
petiolum utrinque decurrit et ad unum latus 
longius extenditur, hirfutula, finuato-ferrata, X 
fubtus pallidiora, venofa et pun&is glandu- 9 
lofis excavatis notata; caulina remotiufcula, C> 
inferiora petiolata, petiolis brevioribus, fu- £> 
prema feffilia. X 
§ 
FLORES verticillati, verticillis nudiufculis, fubfexfloris. | 
BRACTEAE cordata:, acuminata:, deflexa:, floribus 
breviores. 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, bilabiatum, 
purpurafeens, vifcidulum, perfiftens ; labium 
fuperius obovatum, mucrone brevi fepius 
terminatum, trinerve, nervis duobus abbre- C 
viatis, labium inferius nervofum ad dimidiam 
fere bifidum ; laciniis ovato-lanceolatis, mu- 
cronatis, furfum curvatis, jig. 1. 
COROLLA monopetala, inaequalis, violacea, calyce 1 
paulo longior; Tubus fuperne ampliatus, com- 1 
. preffus ; Limbus ringens ; Labium fuperius 1 
concavum, compreffum, incurvum, emargi- j 
natum; Labium inferius latum, trifidum, , 
lacinia media majori, rotundata, depreffa, , 
emarginata, jig. 2. 1 
STAMINA: Filamenta duo, brevia; Anthera: < 
oblonga:, nigra:, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen quadrifidum; Stylus fili- | 
formis, longus; Stigma bifidum, jig. 4. a 
SEMINA quatuor in fundo calycis, fubrotunda, nigra, J 
Js- 5 . 6 - « 
ROOT perennial, brown, the thicknefs of the middle- 
finder, flriking deep into the earth, and fur- 
nifhed with numerous fibres. 
STALKS nearly upright, two feet high, four-cornered, 
hairy (hairs horizontal, Tomewhat vifeid) 
purplifh, cfpecially at the joints, branched ; 
Branches oppofite. 
LEAVES next the root Handing on long footftalks, 
variable in their form, oblong, fornetimes 
rounded at tire extremity, fornetimes a little 
pointed, not unfrequently heart-fhaped at the 
bafe, but more commonly the leaf runs down 
on each fide of the footftalk, and to a greater 
length on the one fide than on the other, very 
flightly hirfute, on the margin irregularly 
waved and fawed or toothed, of a paler 
colour on the under fide, veiny and marked 
with fmall glandular concave dots ; the ftalk- 
leaves fomewhat remote, the lowermoft of 
them Handing on fhort foot-Halks, the upper- 
rnoH feffile. 
FLOWERS growing in whorls, fomewhat naked, 
containing about fix flowers. 
FLORAL-LEAVES heart-fhaped, long-pointed, turned 
down, fhorter than the flowers. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, two lip’d, 
purplifh, flightly vifeid, and continuing ; the 
upper lip obovate, mofl commonly terminated 
by a fhort point, three-rib’d, two of which 
are much fhorter than the middle one ; the 
lower lip rib’d, divided nearly half way down, 
fegments pvato-lanceolate, pointed, turned 
up, Jig, 1 . 
COROLLA monopetalous, unequal, violet-coloured, a 
little longer than the calyx ; Tube above en- 
larged, flattened ; Limb gaping ; upper Lip 
concave, flattened, bent downwards, emar- 
ginate ; lower Lip broad, trifid, middle feg- 
ment largefl, rounded, deprefled, emarginate. 
Jig. 2. 
STAMINA: Two Filaments, fhort; Anthera 
oblong, black, Jig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen quadrifid; Style filiform, 
long ; Stigma bifid. Jig. 4. 
SEEDS four in the bottom of the calyx, of a roundifh 
figure and black colour, J'g. 5, 6. 
The Salvia Verbenaca is a common plant, not only in dry paflures and uncultivated places near London, but 
generally throughout the kingdom ; we have frequently remarked that it very often occurs in Church-Yards. 
It flowers during mofl. of the fummer, and towards autumn produces abundance of feeds, which flattering 
on the ground, and readily growing, difpofe this plant foon to become a weed. 
It varies confiderably in fize, and very much in the form of its leaves ; when bruifed it emits a ftrong and 
fomewhat unpleafant fmell. 
The feed put into water foon becomes invefled with a thick mucilage. 
Formerly it had fome reputation as a medicinal plant ; Gerard tells us, “ That the feede put whole into the 
« eies clenfeth and purgeth them exceedingly from, waterifh humours, rednefle, inflamation, and divers other 
“ maladies, or all that happen unto the eies ; and takes away the pain and ftnarting thereof, efpecially being put 
“ into the eies one feecl at onetime and no more.” Ray, who was too credulous in matters of this fort, 
attributes their efficacy to their form and fmoothnefs ; we have heard their mode of operating accounted for m 
fome other way : but furely there is a manifefl abfurdity in the idea thus entertained of their efficacy, and no 
fmall danger attendant on their ufe : the putting a hard fubflance into a part naturally fo tender as the eye, mult 
at any time be fufficient to excite inflammation, and at all times increafe it; we therefore caution fuch of oui 
readers as are fond of ufing the edged tools of medicine, to be on their guard agamft applying lo doubtful a 
remedy in diflafls of an organ fo exquifitely formed. 
